Setting up the interfaces to peripheral devices through a serial port
To provide correct information, the TV80 system needs to communicate with external devices. A serial port is a serial communication interface that is still very common between maritime systems. In order to communicate with peripheral devices, the computer offers several serial and/or Ethernet (LAN) ports. In the Select Input (COM) dialog box you can select the input for the available serial ports for interface purposes.
Prerequisites
•  The TV80 software is installed on the Processor Unit.
•  The relevant license string for the software is installed and activated.
•  The new device is physically connected to the Processor Unit using a serial cable.
•  The interface port is set up with the correct communication parameters.
Context
The serial line connection can provide information from the following the gear monitoring sensors and systems:
•  Simrad PI50
•  Simrad PI60
•  Simrad ITI
•  Simrad PI50 Software
•  Gyro
•  Global Positioning System (GPS)
•  Other hardware
Procedure
1 Select the Setup icon.
The icon is located under the Main menu. It is used to open the Setup menu.
2 On the Setup menu, select Installation.
Observe that the Installation dialog box opens.
3 On the right side of the Installation dialog box, observe the available communication ports.
An available port is identified with a green light.
4 Select a free serial (COM) port.
The Select Input (COM) dialog box opens.
5 Select the system you want to interface from the list provided.
Every interface is presented as a small "block diagram".
Note
Just adding an external device does not mean it is properly working. It is very important that any serial line between the TV80 system and any external system is setup correctly with identical parameters at each end. Use the Serial Port Setup dialog box to define the communication parameters for serial line ports.
6 Click on the relevant serial port icon to open Serial Port Setup dialog box.
7 In the Serial Port Setup dialog box, define the relevant parameters for the communication. Click OK to save the chosen parameters and close the Serial Port Setup dialog box.
8 Repeat for each sensor interface that you need to set up.